Connecting with the Old World by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

The ancient water flows freely beneath me

An old vibrating vein in an ancient land.

Before me sits a once-green civilisation

Rows upon rows of palm trees,

Of all shapes, sizes and ages

Orchards beyond the eye can see.

The sun falls on my face

As a cold breeze ruffles my hair.

The greenery awakens my sight,

Breathing life and colour into my soul,

Shades aplenty;

Life.

My eyes fall on grass-crested islands

With black buffalos and goats grazing silently

Aswan scenery. 27 January 2016.
Picture taken by Nada Adel Sobhi

The wind is cold but alive.

I'm in love.

The flowing River Nile,

Sparkling underneath the sun;

The world of a once Amun-Ra,

A history engraved in stone

With colours vibrant,

Like they were painted just yesterday

I inhale the pure air; 

No pollution here,

The sun warms my face,

Like a loving hand holding my cheeks.

I wish I could linger here,

Connect with the old world,

With nature and simplicity,

And more importantly with me.

I inhale again,

Eyes closed,

Blocking the sounds around me,

Except the lulling water;

The green islands in the back of my mind,

Filling my vision,

The statues fronting the temples,

The history…

All behind closed eyelids.

  

Edfu Temple, Edfu, Egypt (between Luxor and Aswan)
Picture taken by Nada Adel Sobhi

Written 27/1/2016 on a cruise in Aswan, Egypt.